An Atheist Explores the Qur'an Part 100: If It’s Finished, Pour It (Opening (al-Sharh))
Opening (al-Sharh)
If It’s Finished, Pour It.
Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Qur’an version).
In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Qur’an, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology.
For more detail, see the introductory post https://bit.ly/2ApLDy0
For the online Qur’an that I use, see here http://al-quran.info and http://quran.com
Opening (al-Sharh) 1-8
“Did We not open your breast for you and relieve you of your burden which [almost] broke your back?
Did We not exalt your name?
Indeed ease accompanies hardship.
Indeed ease accompanies hardship.
So when you are done, appoint, and turn eagerly to your Lord.”
Yes, we are getting into the tiny surahs, and for the most part, particularly those under ten verses, I’ll be quoting the whole thing. Which, hopefully, will give more of a feel for how the verses flow together (or not) instead of picking various representative verses out from the whole.
The basis of this surah is God giving a bit of a pep-talk to the Prophet, basically telling him to take heart and get on with it. I’ve mentioned before how odd it feels that the Prophet should include what are essentially private messages from God, but I suppose the message is considered to be one applicable to all – if you’re feeling like your burdens are too much, Allah is there to help you with them. I should know, this verse says on behalf of the Prophet, because it happened to me.
Note the repetition of the line “Indeed ease accompanies hardship”. I cheated here and did a brief bit of research on this chapter so that my commentary could have a tiny bit more depth than the usual complaining about the same old heaven and hell stuff. Apparently this repetition is indicative that the “ease”, the repayment for suffering or hardship, will be twofold compared to the suffering it provoked. So the tougher your life is, the greater your reward will be, either in the Magic Sky Brothel or, as is implied here, at a later stage in your life.
About the only other comment I have for this surah is the command to “appoint” in the final verse, which doesn’t make too much sense in English. An alternative translation according to the footnotes is “when you are finished [with prayer], exert yourself [in supplicating to Allah]”, which makes a lot more sense. The quran.com website gives the translation as “So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship]”, which makes even more sense, since “prayer” and exerting oneself “supplicating to Allah” must surely be the same kind of thing? But… “stand up” for prayer? Surely this should be kneeling? Or is the prayer started whilst standing?
Oh, and Google Translate gives the translation of the Arabic for this verse (“فَإِذا فَرَغتَ فَانصَب: fa-ʾidhā faraghta fa-nṣab”) as “If it is finished, pour it”.
Thanks, Google Translate. You are so useful and effective.
If It’s Finished, Pour It.
Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Qur’an version).
In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Qur’an, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology.
For more detail, see the introductory post https://bit.ly/2ApLDy0
For the online Qur’an that I use, see here http://al-quran.info and http://quran.com
Opening (al-Sharh) 1-8
“Did We not open your breast for you and relieve you of your burden which [almost] broke your back?
Did We not exalt your name?
Indeed ease accompanies hardship.
Indeed ease accompanies hardship.
So when you are done, appoint, and turn eagerly to your Lord.”
Yes, we are getting into the tiny surahs, and for the most part, particularly those under ten verses, I’ll be quoting the whole thing. Which, hopefully, will give more of a feel for how the verses flow together (or not) instead of picking various representative verses out from the whole.
The basis of this surah is God giving a bit of a pep-talk to the Prophet, basically telling him to take heart and get on with it. I’ve mentioned before how odd it feels that the Prophet should include what are essentially private messages from God, but I suppose the message is considered to be one applicable to all – if you’re feeling like your burdens are too much, Allah is there to help you with them. I should know, this verse says on behalf of the Prophet, because it happened to me.
Note the repetition of the line “Indeed ease accompanies hardship”. I cheated here and did a brief bit of research on this chapter so that my commentary could have a tiny bit more depth than the usual complaining about the same old heaven and hell stuff. Apparently this repetition is indicative that the “ease”, the repayment for suffering or hardship, will be twofold compared to the suffering it provoked. So the tougher your life is, the greater your reward will be, either in the Magic Sky Brothel or, as is implied here, at a later stage in your life.
About the only other comment I have for this surah is the command to “appoint” in the final verse, which doesn’t make too much sense in English. An alternative translation according to the footnotes is “when you are finished [with prayer], exert yourself [in supplicating to Allah]”, which makes a lot more sense. The quran.com website gives the translation as “So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship]”, which makes even more sense, since “prayer” and exerting oneself “supplicating to Allah” must surely be the same kind of thing? But… “stand up” for prayer? Surely this should be kneeling? Or is the prayer started whilst standing?
Oh, and Google Translate gives the translation of the Arabic for this verse (“فَإِذا فَرَغتَ فَانصَب: fa-ʾidhā faraghta fa-nṣab”) as “If it is finished, pour it”.
Thanks, Google Translate. You are so useful and effective.
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